


unprecedented circumstances

by toriiixoox



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, College, Crushes, Developing Relationship, Dinosaurs, Dorms, F/M, Strangers to Lovers, Tsukishima Kei is Bad at Feelings, i might change the rating later, this is a super modern college AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-16 09:53:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29948193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toriiixoox/pseuds/toriiixoox
Summary: This wasn't exactly what you had in mind for your college experience, but that doesn't mean that you wouldn't make the most of it, the boy across the hall with the tall, menacing best friend is making sure of that.Alternately: Tsukishima Kei is not the typical type of person you would find yourself hanging out with, but unprecedented circumstances lead to unprecedented friendships... or more?
Relationships: Tsukishima Kei/Reader
Kudos: 11





	unprecedented circumstances

**Author's Note:**

> SO i don't normally post chaptered fics until they are either completely done or mostly done BUT here i am. I have a general plan for where I want this fic to go, but I've only written as far as about halfway through ch 2. I do plan on finishing it. i just hoped that putting it out there would inspire me to write it faster, esp if it is enjoyed.

There were some good things that came from distanced learning like wearing your pajamas to class, not having to see (or hear) the annoying kid who uses a backpack on wheels, the lack of obnoxious noise on the other side of your dorm hall from the girls who bring 6 guys over to their tiny room at 3 am on a Wednesday night, less crowded spaces, and, oh, right, Tsukishima Kei. 

Tsukishima Kei could definitely be placed in the pros category of this brand new college experience. With all the craziness of being separated into single-room dorms, the co-ed floors became even more co-ed and now, right across the hall from you resides a blonde with glasses and a black mask that has not 1, not 2, but  **3** dinosaur charms on his backpack and his roommate with freckles and kind eyes. 

You’ve gone through the different situations in your head, through every alternate timeline and every single other way this could have panned out and within those laid one solid fact: there was no other scenario where you and Tsukishima would have even given each other the time of day except the one you were in. Tsukishima was far too arrogant and narcissistic and you were far too… well,  _ not. _ You weren’t nearly as self-loathing or full of hate as Tsukishima Kei. In any other world, Tsukishima would have chosen to stay as far away from you as possible and the feeling was mutual. 

But this wasn’t any other world. 

This was a world where your typical friends weren’t allowed in your dorm room and it was getting far too cold to hang out in the field in front of your building and you saw your RA less than you saw your parents. At the beginning of the semester, when the sun warmed the air, but the breeze controlled the heat, you would meet with friends from your current classes and previous years outdoors on picnic benches or in the grass for almost the entire day. During these times, you saw Tsukishima twice. Once when the freckled boy, Yamaguchi, forced him over for introductions during the first week and another when the two of you happened to be leaving for class at the same time. 

When the cold set in and both outdoor and indoor places on campus were no longer viable options for hanging out, you spent any time that you weren’t in class in your single dorm. With nowhere else to be, making a beeline straight back into the warmth of your room, you noticed very quickly that you and Yamaguchi had a handful of in-person classes that ended at the same time nearly every day of the week. Yamaguchi walked a few paces behind you, but you would still linger at the door to let him inside and hold the elevator door and smile at him politely as you entered your room on the other side of the hall. 

Honestly, with how dark it got so quickly, the increased workload from midterms and new information, and the lack of non-school-related conversation, this wasn’t the best-case scenario for you. It seemed like there would never be a version of  _ this  _ that could be considered a best-case scenario. 

Until Yamaguchi Tadashi and Tsukishima Kei knocked on your door at 6 PM on a Thursday evening. Through your small peephole, you could see Tsukishima looking bothered even though  _ he _ was the one knocking and Yamaguchi elbowing him almost violently and whispering something about behaving. The door clicked unlocked, swung open, and Tsukishima continued his bored look. 

“Hey! Hi! We’re uh- we’re your neighbors! And we wanted to know if you wanted to come over and watch a movie?” Yamaguchi offered. He somehow sounded unsure, but very enthusiastic at the same time. You cocked your head at him, confused at the sudden invitation. “I just know that you don’t have a roommate and if I didn’t have Tsukki then I’d be pretty lonely, so.”

Your heart felt warm at the gesture so you reciprocated it in your smile, feeling the crinkles forming by your eyes until you make eye contact with Tsukishima. Or, rather, you attempt to make eye contact with Tsukishima who is quietly staring down the hall. Part of you wants to roll your eyes while the other part is betraying you with the butterflies in your stomach just from noticing how  _ attractive  _ he is. But more importantly than how his glasses are fogging up from the breath in his mask or how his eyebrows are furrowed so slightly, you see how much Yamaguchi is trying and you decide that no matter what Tsukishima does, you won’t ruin this for him. 

“I would love to,” you smile and Yamaguchi lets out a breath he had been holding in the entire time, trying his best to exhale unnoticeably, but failing. You glance over at Tsukishima to see if your chipper response has warranted any sort of reaction from him. You’re waiting for him to let down his guard or nod or even to furrow his brows deeper, but his facial expression stays constant. 

The first thing that you notice about Tsukishima and Yamaguchi’s dorm room is that it is much cleaner than you expect it to be. The small living room is nearly spotless save for a blanket strewn across the couch and a few movies sitting on the coffee table, but even those felt in place in some respect. Tsukishima’s door is decorated with a stegosaurus-shaped whiteboard with Tsukki!!!! scrawled onto it in purple marker and Yamaguchi’s door has a similar whiteboard that’s shaped like a planet with Yams!!!! written on it in the same handwriting. 

You take a seat on the floor, pressing your back against the arm of the couch. Yamaguchi starts to object, telling you that you can sit on the couch or he can grab a seat from his room, but you shake your head. Truthfully, the floor was the best place for you to be right now. On the floor, you didn’t have to deal with the awkward “No, where do  _ you  _ wanna sit?” You cut the entire conversation out of the picture by preemptively sitting next to the couch and allowing Tsukishima and Yamaguchi the space on the furniture. Besides, it seemed that Yamaguchi was ready to give up his seat, but Tsukishima had sat down as soon as he got into the room. Yes, you would much rather sit on the floor than have to deal with the thoughts that would have come with sitting next to Tuskishima. 

Yamaguchi tries his best to ease the tension in the room, making jokes and asking questions before the movie starts. You can absolutely tell how nervous he is about the dynamic of the room. You converse with him, talking about how classes are going and how different school is this semester. Yamaguchi doesn’t rope Tsukishima into a conversation that he evidently has no interest in being in, letting him sit quietly scrolling on his phone instead. 

When the movie actually comes on, Tsukishima barely pays attention, but in all fairness, neither do you. You’re much more concerned with the facial expression on Tsukishima’s face. It’s soft, but annoyed and bored and sits so effortless on his face no matter where his attention is. 

The movie feels painfully long as you try your best not to move too much or disturb the others in the room when you clear your throat or shift. Though, you’re grateful for the human presence outside of a classroom even if it will probably not happen again. 

“Thank you guys so much for having me over,” you say, standing up as soon as the credits start rolling, grateful for Yamaguchi’s inclusion, but ready to leave the tense air of their dorm. 

“What’s your schedule like tomorrow?” Yamaguchi asks politely, standing up to walk you to the door that is a few feet away. 

“I have an in-person class until 5,” you answer. 

“Okay! Me and Tsukki are going to eat off-campus if you want to join us!” The kindness in his voice is making you feel warm and his attempts to include you because he knows how lonely he’d be in your shoes is so endearing. 

Your eyes flicker over to Tsukishima who has not really paid any attention to the conversations you and Yamaguchi had until now. His gaze is on Yamaguchi, eyes widened ever so slightly that if his facial expression hadn't been unchanged for the past 3 hours, you wouldn’t have noticed. “No, no, I don’t want to intrude,” you shake your head as you try to decline his offer. 

“You’re not!” Yamaguchi exclaims. 

You clear your throat, looking to Tsukishima quickly. Yamaguchi follows your line of sight and his eyebrows furrow. “Tsukki, right? (y/n) can come with us?” 

“Doesn’t matter to me,” It’s the first words that Tsukishima has said in hours and, oh gosh, how inviting they are. If the tiredness hadn’t hit you so quickly and you weren’t so desperate to leave Tsukishima’s presence, you might have put up more of a fight. 

“Okay, cool,” you concede. 

“I’ll come get you at around 6,” Yamaguchi says very enthusiastically. 

“Sounds good,” you nod. “Thanks again for inviting me over,” you say directly to Yamaguchi as he walks over to the door with you. “I really appreciate it.”

“Of course! I’m glad you could come and hang out,” Yamaguchi smiles. He steps into the hall with you, walking the few strides to your door. “I know that Tsukki is kinda…,” he trails off and purses his lips, thinking, “but he’s harmless and he enjoys company that’s not me once and a while.” 

You’re not so convinced about either of those claims, but you nod and smile anyway. “Totally,” you fake understand. Yamaguchi offers a small wave before going back into his room and shutting the door behind him, locking it with a click. 

* * *

You think about canceling on Yamaguchi 5 separate times the following day as you make your way from class to class. Each time that your mind wandered back onto the thought of enduring another awkward hangout session with the duo, the only thing you wanted to do was bail. As nice as Yamaguchi was, you probably wouldn’t even need an excuse. You could just text him nicely and say that you weren’t feeling good or that you were tired or that something had come up. He wouldn’t hold any animosity toward you and you could spend your night alone watching TV and not having to maneuver through talking points with the conversational equivalent of an uninterested, grumpy brick wall.

By the time you mull over your options, going back and forth in your head between sucking it up and just going for the company or canceling for your sanity, Yamaguchi is jogging to catch up with you on your way back to the dorm. He strikes up polite conversation, asking you about how your week is going and if your workload is particularly bad at this point in the semester. Before last night, the two of you hadn’t really walked together, rather, you walked a few feet away from each other in the same direction. 

The conversation, though very small talk-centric, flows so nicely that the walk to your dorm feels oddly short. It’s not until you’re walking down your particular hall that Yamaguchi mentions your imminent plans. “I’m going to go change and make sure Tsukki’s ready and then we can leave in 10 if that’s enough time for you,” he says, unlocking his door and then turning to face you for confirmation. 

With the constant conversation, you had simultaneously forgotten about the potential cancellation and lost the opportunity to follow through with it. You force a smile onto your face, trying to not let the realization show. You nod at him, despite the fact that 10 minutes is pushing it. As you unlock your door and push into your room, you hear Yamaguchi calling out into his. “Tsukki!! I’m back! We’re leaving in 10!” Their door closes far too quickly, muffling out Tsukishima’s quick response. Whenever he’s around you, his responses are never as easygoing or quick. You frown after your own door shuts at the missed peek into what the real Tsukishima looked like. 

True to your word, you’re back out in the hallway in 10 minutes waiting outside of Yamaguchi and Tsukishima’s door, but not alerting them of your presence yet. It’s unnecessary, anyway. The door swings open a few moments later revealing Yamaguchi looking back at Tsukishima who is smiling so genuinely that the corners of his eyes are crinkling. You feel a pang in your heart just from the sight. 

Unfortunately, that’s the only smile you see from Tsukishima all night. In fact, the second that he makes eye contact with you, the smile disappears and, with it, the warmth in your chest. You trail behind Tsukishima and Yamaguchi as they navigate through the halls of your dorm and down the elevator. You lag behind enough for them to walk side by side, making yourself as small as possible as you follow in silence. 

Tsukishima is silent too, his hand gripped tightly around his phone and his chin pressed against his chest. If the screen wasn’t his sole focus, he’d be staring at his feet and the sidewalk cracks. His body language screams boredom and annoyance and as your destination gets closer, his gait slows and his position shifts until you’ve taken his place next to Yamaguchi and he’s taken your place out of the way. 

You barely notice the change in positions from how gradual the shift is. You only notice, really, because Yamaguchi starts asking you how your classes were today to which you only half pay attention to your own answer, something about half online and half in-person classes. Your mind is more intrigued about the humming that’s coming from behind you and how that feeling in your chest is back. 

Throughout dinner, Tsukishima never offers more than 2-3 words at a time. He says thank you to the hostess. He orders food. He answers Yamaguchi’s question. He nods along to the story he’s telling and offers a few affirmative murmurs. He does the bare minimum and nothing more. 

Nearly all of the chatter at the table comes from Yamaguchi and the responses you return. He’s really good at filling spaces of silence and you’ve never been more grateful. The conversations are the smallest of talk, but they ward off the looming awkwardness and they carry you through the rest of dinner. 

On your way back to the dorm, the atmosphere is constant. The formation, the speed, the silence, it’s all mirrored in your trip back. It’s just as weird too… that is until Tsukishima offers up a statement without any prompt for the first time. It’s so small, just a passing statement that from anyone else would just feel normal, and maybe for Yamaguchi, this was just normal Tsukishima, but when he speaks you’re taken aback. 

“Let’s cut through there,” he nods up toward the large stadium that is eerily dark and empty for a Friday night, “It’s faster and warmer.” You hadn’t even really noticed how cold you were or the way you could see your breath, instead focusing on the rigidity of the company and discomfort in the air. Now that he brought it up, you could feel the freezing air anywhere your skin was exposed. 

“It looks closed,” you notice, squinting your eyes to get a better look inside from where you’re at. “How are we going to get in?”

“They keep the back doors unlocked,” he says. You nod in response, watching Tsukishima walk towards the building, his long stride causing him to brisk past you and reach the door just in time to hold the door open for you and Yamaguchi. You don’t bother asking how he knows that the back doors stay open. You feel like it’s just safer to assume that he’s way over his quota of talking to you, but it doesn’t stop there. 

“I take this shortcut all the time,” he explains as Yamaguchi squeezes past Tsukishima, offering a small thank you as he does so. “It’s faster than having to walk around the building.”

His tone is still monotonous, but the unsolicited conversation makes you feel more confident about continuing it. You duck underneath his arm as you enter the dark building. “I don’t think I’ve ever been in here before,” you say, stepping further into the hallway.

“Usually I just follow this hallway around the corner and exit out the main doors,” Tsukishima says, shutting the door behind him softly before catching up with you and Yamaguchi. “You’ve never been inside the building before?”

You shake your head no, taking in your surroundings. The ceilings look so far away that the light from the windows doesn’t seem to affect them. The walls are scattered with various sports championship photos, banners, and trophies. Yamaguchi, who is usually the one keeping you guys afloat, has stopped talking completely, allowing you and Tsukishima to finally have your first conversation.

Tsukishima nods off to the side, motioning to one of the doors inside. You furrow your eyebrows for only a second until Tsukishima’s already pushing it open. The click of the metal bar pressing in echoes throughout the cave-like hallway and for the first time since being inside of the building, you’re nervous that you’re not supposed to be here. You hesitate and Tsukishima can see it. He nods again. “C’mon.”

You walk over quickly, ducking under his arm once again, but this time you’re more aware of it. You’re aware of his towering height and this small light of politeness and the lingering scent that follows you into the room. You’re so aware of it that you don’t even notice the room you’re in. 

“I can’t believe you’ve never been in here,” Tsukishima nearly scoffs. 

You’re almost ready to snap back, but you’re too focused on the vastness of the stadium. How  _ have  _ you never been in here? You shrug and answer, “I can’t either honestly.” You feel far too small to be standing in this room, just the three of you. You feel like there should be thousands of people in the stands and a handful of people on the court with you. “It’s probably a lot different in here normally.”

This time, he scoffs, but it doesn’t feel hostile or annoyed. It almost feels reminiscent. “Yeah. Usually, there are people cheering and screaming from the stands and the sides of the court. There's movement and the sound of the ball hitting the floor and hands,” he pauses, “Now it’s just a shortcut from the cold weather.”

“I’d like to come back when it’s like you described it,” you say almost instinctively. You can’t stop yourself from imagining what it would be like to be screaming and cheering in the stands like he described for whatever team was playing whatever sport.

Your daydream stops as you notice how quiet it’s gotten. You can’t even hear yourself breathe, but you look up and it doesn’t even matter. Tsukishima is smiling at you, subtle, but grand and now you no longer hear your breath because it just doesn’t exist right. Your mind is begging you to keep looking, to burn this memory into your brain, but your cheeks are hot and you’re probably embarrassing yourself. “It would just be cool, I think,” you murmur, trying to turn your focus onto the stands again or how big the court is or just  _ anything _ . 

“It’s cool from both sides,” Tsukishima remarks and you hear his footsteps get further and further away. 

“I-. What?” you ask, trying to take in what he had just said. You try to catch up with him, jogging to make up the space as Yamaguchi giggles behind you. 

“The exit’s right out here,” he walks out of a set of doors and then immediately to the outside. It’s as if the Tsukishima inside the building never existed. As soon as you step out, he’s back on his phone. You try to ask him if he plays a sport or what he meant, but he just shrugs or hums or straight out ignores you. 

As quickly as that side of Tsukishima showed up, it faded away. It doesn’t show up for the rest of the walk back and before you know it, you’re at your dorm. Tsukishima waves a small goodbye, which is more than you were expecting, honestly. Yamaguchi thanks you for tagging along and hopes you had a good time. When the two of them get inside and shut the door, you stand in the hall for just a second.  _ Shit _ . You did have a good time. 

* * *

You try to hang out with the two of them 3 more times after that. You think that something had changed the last time you hung out with them, but every time it’s the same. You and Yamaguchi converse and laugh together about current events or your classes or the university or random things on the Internet. Yamaguchi tries to bring Tsukishima into the conversation, but he can’t be bothered to engage any deeper than a hum or a nod, instead opting for his headphones or whatever’s on his phone screen. 

There is the tiniest glimmers of some sort of personality or, dare you say,  _ connection.  _ One day, it’s prompted by a band t-shirt you wear and Tsukishima points out. Another day, it’s just a small conversation about the food you’re eating. These moments only last, well, a moment. 

You hang out 3 more times before Yamaguchi tries to relieve you of any obligation you might be feeling and attempts to explain or excuse Tsukishima. On your way back from class on a day that you and Yamaguchi end at the same time, your paths intersect and you walk back to the dorm together. 

“Tsukki doesn’t really warm up that quickly. I’m sorry it’s so awkward. I meant what I said before about him enjoying company that’s not mine, even if it doesn’t seem like it yet. But if it’s too weird or not fun, then you don’t have to hang out with us anymore if you don’t want to,” Yamaguchi mentions, letting one corner of his mouth tug upwards in apology.

It feels like an easy way out, a way to stop hanging out with the two of them and possibly instead finding a way to hang out with just Yamaguchi. He’s the only one that talks to you anyway. 

But something stops you. 

It’s a combination of the possibility of a challenge and the way that Yamaguchi looks so apologetic but hopeful right now and the enjoyment you’ve found in the small amounts of positive interactions that you had had with Tsukishima in the short time that you’ve known him. 

The words escape you after some thought, “I’d like to stick around if that’s okay with you and Tsukishima.”

Yamaguchi looks so surprised, but also ecstatic. “Of course, yeah. Absolutely,” he says, picking up the pace from how happy he was with where the conversation went. “Tsukishima enjoys your company, y’know?”

You scoff. It’s involuntary, really, but then you look at Yamaguchi’s lips pressed into a tight line and his eyes wide like he told you a secret that he was sworn to. You immediately feel bad for scoffing so harshly so quickly. 

“I mean, like, I know he doesn’t show it, but if he didn’t like you or thought you were annoying, you’d know is what I meant to say, basically,” Yamaguchi rambles, trying to lessen the impact of the sentence. 

“Right,” you reply, mulling over what he’s said. When you think back to your interactions, he never seemed annoyed at you in particular, just bored and bothered in general. When you asked him questions, he’d respond, albeit sometimes somewhat bothered, but he’d reply. He’d even faintly laughed at a few of your jokes 

“Well, we’re hanging out tomorrow if you want to tag along. I’m not sure what we’re doing yet, but we’ll figure something out,” Yamaguchi smiles at you. The conversation went much differently than he had expected, but exactly as he wished. 

“Okay. I’ll be there,” you smile back at him, happy with your new discoveries as you begin to think of a plan that will unravel Tsukishima’s walls, wanting to get to a point where he does warm up to you outwardly and he jokes with you like he jokes with Yamaguchi, a plan that involves shared interests and dinosaurs.


End file.
